According to the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection 2025, HBV reactivation (HBVr) refers to a sudden increase in HBV replication in HBsAg-positive or HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive individuals, due to loss of immune control 1. Transplantation of non-liver organs, which do not contain HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), is not typically associated with HBVr. However, if HBV DNA is present in the blood of the donor, the risk of HBV transmission exists.
Journal of Hepatology published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 02 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on HBV infection occurred despite apparently adequate prophylaxis in a lung transplant recipient.
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